Sunday, August 29, 2010

ALEXANDRIA, VA The problem with Charles Bryan's Op/Ed column, "Yes, Slavery Caused the Civil War," is that nearly every point he raises to make his argument against the short-lived Southern republic could also be made directly against the United States, its Constitution, and the Founding Fathers. For example, the statement that "the Confederacy was a nation based on laws and constitutional authority protecting slavery and the right of its citizens to own other human beings." The implication is that the United States and its Constitution were not. But this is false.

It may be useful to point out a few uncomfortable realities:

•The United States Constitution clearly provided in the second section of Article IV for the return of fugitive slaves to their masters.

•The United States Constitution in the second section of Article I clearly provided that three-fifths of all other persons (meaning slaves) were to be counted for the purposes of representation in the U.S. House.

•The United States Constitution, in fact, extended the slave trade a full decade until 1808. This was a rejection of the proposal by George Mason, a slaveholder, and other Virginians, for an immediate end to this inhumane practice. The extension benefited New England -- the center of American slave trading.

The U.S. Constitution was designed chiefly to protect liberty and property, including slaves. The Framers knew that property rights were indispensable to liberty and that for the time being bonded labor was a unique species of property. Such statesmen as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Patrick Henry, George Mason, John Marshall, and a host of others, were slaveholders who also opposed slavery. Yet they had to deal with the day-to-day reality of an inherited institution, while striving to make it as humane as possible and looking forward to its final abolition by peaceful and orderly means. This is not a contradiction, but rather a paradox.

In 1831, Virginia attempted to enact a bill for gradual emancipation of the slaves -- it lost by one vote in the General Assembly. Virginia, all counted, made a total of 23 attempts to legislate the freeing of the slaves and the abolition of the slave trade prior to 1861.

The United States Congress, in a resolution unanimously approved by both houses on July 23, 1861, declared: "The war is waged by the Government of the United States, not in the spirit of conquest or subjugation, nor for the purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights or institutions of the states, but to defend and protect the Union." There is not a word about abolishing slavery.

President Abraham Lincoln said in his first Inaugural Address: "I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."

In 1861, Lincoln supported passage of the Corwin Amendment to the Constitution, which would have formally and explicitly enshrined slavery in the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting the government from ever interfering with Southern slavery. This amendment passed the Senate and the House just days before Lincoln was inaugurated (but the advent of war prevented its ratification by the states). In his first Inaugural Address he said he believed slavery was constitutional and then, alluding to the Corwin Amendment, said: "I have no objection to it [slavery protection] being made express irrevocable" in the Constitution. This was by far the strongest defense of slavery ever made by an American politician.

Not one single slave in any non-seceding Union slave state (Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia) was freed by Lincoln's famous 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It had no effect on any Southern state, as it obviously could not be enforced there. Lincoln himself said (in a widely distributed communication, Aug. 22, 1862, to New York newspaper editor Horace Greeley): "If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves I would do it."

Arguments that slavery caused the war and that the South was the culprit are already bearing fruit in the City of Richmond. The city's commission on the sesquicentennial, The Future of Richmond's Past, is already showing a distorted emphasis on slavery versus the heroism, suffering, and sacrifice of the soldiers whose leaders' statues grace Monument Avenue. This approach seems more calculated to drive visitors away than to attract them to the capital city of the Confederacy.

Virginia's secession convention stood firmly pro-Union until the April 12, 1861, firing on Fort Sumter and Lincoln's call of troops from Virginia to help bring the seceding states back into the Union. Slavery played no role in Virginia's decision and Virginia left the Union only upon Lincoln's call up to invade the lower South.

Slavery began in Virginia in 1619, not 1861. It is an injustice to pile the sins of 250 years of the "peculiar institution" on the brave men who went forth against the invaders between 1861 and 1865. As we commemorate their heroism and sacrifice, we do not forget the peculiar institution, but at the same time we must not let political correctness corrupt our judgment and our historical understanding. As noted historian James McPherson wrote in What They Fought For, 1861-1865, the vast majority of Southern soldiers believed they were fighting to defend their state, their homes, and their families -- not slavery.

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to the membership of one our local camps. During my presentation, I asked them to consider some numbers. If each member of our Confederation would recruit just one new member in the coming year, next year we would have about 60,000 members. Then, if each of these would recruit one new member in the following year, our membership would increase to 120,000.

If each member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans were to continue recruiting one new member a year, within just ten years, ten percent of the population of the United States would be members of the SCV; which means about twenty percent of the men in this country would be honoring our noble Confederate forefathers. Yes, in ten years we would have about thirty million members.

Think about the effect we could exert on our failing society. Anyone wanting to be president or seeking any political office would need our support. They would beg to speak at our reunions. If we threatened to boycott General Motors if they didn't put a Confederate Battle Flay on the back of every Silverado Pick up, they would do it or go bankrupt. We could demand that the Lincoln Memorial be leveled and replaced with a monument to someone more worthy of the honor. Someone like Jefferson Davis.

Well, as my daddy used to say, "Dream on sweet prince." I know that thirty million members in ten years in not a very reasonable expectation, but then, if you'll allow me to say so, neither is thirty thousand members after almost a hundred and fifteen years. The Sons of Confederate Veterans need to grow and increase. In doing so, we will gain strength and influence, and be more successful in carrying out the mission to which we are so justly dedicated. We're talking about numbers.

So, how do we accomplish this growth and increase? Consider the early church. Within less than three hundred years what began with a few people in an obscure part of the world, became the most powerful force in the Roman Empire. They did it without elegant buildings, Madison Avenue sales tactics, dog-and-pony shows, ads in newspapers, or any of the things many churches do today to attract new members. So, what did they do?

The Scripture says in Acts 11: 23, "That with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord." They put their faith and trust in the Lord and sought His guidance and strength. We also must realize that we cannot succeed without God's blessing and leadership. But, they did something else. Something we must also do if we are to grow and increase.

They obeyed the Lord's command to, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mk. 16: 15. See also Matt. 28: 18-20 for the Great Commission) Everyone they knew; everyone they met; they felt should hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and accept Him as their Lord. We call it "witnessing."

We must do the same. We must feel that every son of the South should know about the Sons of Confederate Veterans and what we do and stand for, and have the opportunity to join our just Cause. We call it "recruiting."

Whether it's the Cause of Christ or our Southern Cause, one person talking to one person is what worked two thousand years ago, and that's what works today. That is how we get numbers.

May God bless each of you in your service to Christ and in serving the worthy Cause of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Bible tells us quite plainly that not everyone will inherit eternal life. In fact, it seems that most will not; not even some of those who claim to be servants of Christ. In Matthew chapter seven, verses 13 and 14, Jesus speaks of the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction, and the strait gate and narrow way that leads to life. He tells us that many will go the way of destruction, and few will find life. In that same chapter, verses 21 through 23, Jesus states that many who claim to have done wonderful works in His name will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Then there is the dreadful vision of the great judgment in Revelation chapter 20. Verse 15 says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. This is true. It is God's word. But, is it God's will?

The answer is no, of course not. In 2 Peter 3: 9, The Apostle writes that the Lord is "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Indeed, to accomplish His will, God has placed great obstacles between man and spiritual death. He gave His Son to die in our stead. He gave the Holy Spirit to convict and convince us of our spiritual need. He gave the Bible to burn truth into our hearts. He sent faithful witnesses to speak to us under His direction. He gave His Church (not to be confused with my church, your church, our church, or their church) to teach and baptize. And why? Because He loves us and is not willing that any should perish.

So, why then will so many (most according to Jesus) live this life in doubt and despair, and end it by diving headlong into eternal death and destruction? Perhaps it's that word "Repentance." In simple terms, repentance means to turn from self to God. It means to surrender our will to God's will, and accept His authority in our life. As Jesus prayed in the garden in Luke 22: 42, "Not my will, but thine be done." However, the act of repentance requires faith. But, this too is given to us by God. In Ephesians 2: 8, the Apostle Paul writes, "For by grace (God's love) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

I truly believe that it is God's will that the Sons of Confederate Veterans grow, prosper, and succeed in it's appointed mission. I believe we as a Confederation have a mandate, not only from General S.D. Lee, but from God. However, for God's will to be done, in our lives and in our just Cause, we must be in His Will.

So, it is my prayer today that every member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans seek God's will in their life. Before every word: Before every act: Before every decision: We should ask ourselves, am I just doing what I want to do, and saying what I want to say, or is it God's will?

Some years before the bottom fell out of civilization we heard much about the inevitability of progress. The dictionary defines progress as a "forward movement" or a movement towards an aim or goal. The modernists, evolutionists, and there kind once assured us that man was as sure to move forward as sparks are to fly upward. We have not heard much of that lately. So, are we moving forward?

If the aim of this world is global destruction and extermination of the human race, then it seems to be moving forward. If is the aim of this country is to become socialistic, Marxist, communistic, or despotic, then it would seem to be moving forward. If it is the aim of the South is to lose it's individual identity and proud heritage, then it seems to be moving forward. If it is the aim of the church to become a social club and entertainment center, then it appears to be moving forward.

So perhaps progress is inevitable, but it would seem that it is progress in reverse. Instead of creating a euphoria, we are contriving a madhouse. The good news is that more and more people, especially in this country, are saying, "Enough is enough, and I've had enough." People in this country are getting tired of being pushed around and they're beginning to meet, march, and speak out. The crowd in Washington wants to control the country and they know it will take time, because people don't want to be controlled. But, they are moving forward.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans have an aim also. Our aim is defined in the Charge given to us in 1906 by General S.D. Lee. It may at times seem that we are losing ground, that we are being undone by the enemies of truth, that those who wish to destroy us are winning the struggle, however it is we who are making progress. With God's help and guidance, with the strong and competent leadership we have, with dedicated members who are committed to honoring our Confederate forefathers and the Cause for which they fought, we are moving forward.

But there is one kind of progress that is sure. The eternal purpose of God moves on. Perhaps there has never been a time so dark, dismal, and desolate, but amid all the wreckage of civilization today God's program is running on schedule. He will arrive where He is going on time and according to plan. In 2 Peter 3:7 we read, "But the heavens and earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." Then in Revelation 21: 1, God's Word says, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." Yes, God has an aim, and He has a place prepared for you and me, and all His saints. (Jn. 14:1-3) And we can be sure, He is moving forward.

What started out two years ago as just another preservation idea has turned out to be the most active Civil War battlefield restoration of its kind the state of Arkansas has ever seen. Starting with a few acres of heavy underbrush where the Confederate trenches were situated during the battle on August 27th, 1863, Reed’s Bridge battlefield in Jacksonville, Arkansas is looking more and more as it did nearly one hundred and fifty years ago.

Southern Brigade Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ Arkansas Division Ron Kelley noted, “I have been involved in this restoration from the beginning and I have never seen so many groups coming together and working toward a common goal like this.” Originally envisioned by Arkansas living historian Steve Shore, a small 19th century village is nearing completion just in time for the 147th anniversary of the battle as members from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sons of Union Veterans, the Civil War Round Table of Arkansas, the Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trails, living historians, the Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Preservation Society, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History, and the City of Jacksonville spent their summer preparing for the 147th anniversary reenactment that will be held on September 11, 2010.

This restoration was first reported in The Civil War News back in the April, 2009 edition during the first phase of clearing off of the undergrowth and trees. Since then, a smokehouse and barn have been constructed on the property and a kitchen and homestead are currently under construction, not to mention the mountains of brush that have been cleared from the property.

The Civil War era village will be completed by the September, 2010 battle reenactment. Two full scale 1841 replica cannons and a new information stand have also been added to the area as well as a walking trail and a small scale version of the original bridge that the Confederates set fire to during the 1863 battle.

There are many benefits in restoring historical sites other than strictly clearing off land and reconstructing history for the sake of education and heritage. “We have converted this property from a haven for prostitutes, drug dealers, and homeless transients to a beautiful battlefield park perfect for a family picnic.” Kelley continued, “Everyone benefits from a community project like this.” Park admission is free and is open year-round. Reed’s Bridge Battlefield is located on Arkansas Highway 161 south of Jacksonville, Arkansas.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

THE ROAD TO SECESSION is one of the first national events of the American Civil War Sesquicentennial. It will be held in early December at Camp Gilmont, in northeast Upshur County, Texas. The event will feature both an academic symposium and a Living History event and will address the question: Why did the good and Christian people of the South choose Secession in 1860-61?

THE ROAD TO SECESSION is being organized by the Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Army of the Trans Mississippi, Sons of Confederate Veterans. It is our intention to invite school children from the Ark-La-Tex to attend the Living History event on December 2 and 3, and open to the general public on December 4 and 5.

THE ROAD TO SECESSION COMMITTEE is working hard to attract qualified and proven re-enactors to perform the roles of as many of the key personalities in ante-bellum period as possible. We hope to have John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, Col. Robert E. Lee, Stephen Douglas, Dred Scott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Horace Greeley Rafael Semmes and many more. Our belief is that if people can see and hear the arguments and news of the day, they will be more informed as to why Secession was chosen by the people of the South. Our goal is to provide an open forum for all sides so that attendees can gain an appreciation for the views of all.

THE ROAD TO SECESSION Academic Symposium (December 1 – 4) will provide a venue for college professors, authors, historians and students to once again consider the history of our nation during this most crucial period. If you wish to participate and submit a paper please contact us.

THE ROAD TO SECESSION COMMITTEE believes that the broader the range of attendees the better. Crisis and conflict, violence and social forces combined to lead our nation down a road which eventually led to secession. President Lincoln chose war as the northern response. To truly understand the period and the decisions of the people involved, one must explore the many sides of the times.

THE ROAD TO SECESSION COMMITTEE seeks contributors. We need to raise funds, to attract qualified academicians, and qualified and practiced re-enactors. We need to promote and advertise the event across the nation. Make checks payable to Upshur County Patriots, RTS. All donations are tax deductible and we can provide a tax ID No..

Our country is on the road to ruin because it has turned it's back on God and made immorality and sin normal and acceptable. We have turned from the faith of our founding fathers, and are following the ways of the unrighteous. As a country, we seem to think we can change our direction without changing our ways. This country does not need changing, remodeling, or renovation. It needs restoration. This country has jumped the track and lost it's way. We need to clean house and start over.

Let's face it. We could all stand a little improvement. There are things we could do to make life better for ourselves, as well as those around us. Perhaps it's time for a little self evaluation, and resolve to make some changes. However, there are times when change may not be enough. Sometimes we need to stop what we are doing and the way we are doing it, and just start over.

This is what God did as recorded in the sixth chapter of Genesis. God had created man, but after about sixteen hundred years, man had become totally wicked. We are all familiar with the story of Noah and his ark. Mankind had become so evil and unchanging that God decided to wipe the slate clean and start over.

And what of our Confederation? Are we being faithful to the Charge handed to us over a hundred years ago? Are we moving forward in the direction of honoring our brave Confederate forefathers and the Cause for which they gallantly fought? If so, then why are we further from our destination today, than we were fifty years ago? I know we have oppressors, and they have gotten stronger and more aggressive over the years. But, why haven't we gotten even stronger and even more aggressive?

Perhaps we need to be mindful of why the Sons of Confederate Veterans was founded. Perhaps we need to remember the importance of our roots and our mission. Perhaps we need to reunite as a band of brothers shoulder to shoulder in the front line trenches. Perhaps it's time to quit trying to be nice guys and get offended. Perhaps it's time to get mad at those who would dishonor our Confederate ancestors, and start over.

Sometimes people need a new beginning for themselves. If you're a Christian, but don't feel as close to God as you once did, you can start over. Just turn around, He's not as far away as you may think. In Acts 17: 27, the Apostle Paul states that God is "not far from every one of us."

To those who have not committed their life to Jesus Christ, God promises a new beginning. In 2 Corinthians 5: 17, the Scripture says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." So, if life seems to have gotten out of hand and you need a new beginning, just turn to Christ, receive Him as Lord, and start over.

Fredericksburg's legal battle over the location of a memorial to Confederate dead can go to trial, a judge decided yesterday.

Circuit Judge Gordon F. Willis rejected the city's motion for summary judgment to dismiss a lawsuit by the Sons of Confederate Veterans' local camp, saying the court must decide some of the facts disputed by both sides.

The City Council wants the SCV's Matthew Fontaine Maury Camp No. 1722 to remove a granite-and-bronze memorial it erected in early 2009 to honor 51 Confederate soldiers who were buried nearby on what is now the Maury Commons condominiums.

The small monument sits on one corner of the grassy triangle at Barton and George streets that's better known as site of the much-larger Fredericksburg Area War Memorial.

Last fall, the City Council said the SCV monument must move. It enacted an ordinance declaring the triangle the exclusive site of the War Memorial, donated by the Fredericksburg Area Veterans Council, that honors local military personnel killed in World War I and later conflicts.

The Maury camp contends that state law bars the city from moving its monument, and that the SCV had city building and zoning officials' permission to put it there on municipal property. It claims that elsewhere on city land, markers and monuments to the Union's Irish Brigade and the 7th Michigan Infantry were recently permitted by the same process.

But City Attorney Kathleen Dooley argued in court yesterday that staff weren't authorized to allow the SCV memorial. Permission must come expressly from the City Council, she said.

The SCV camp obtained a building permit for the monument's base from the city zoning administrator.

Since it has that document and the memorial is built, the council cannot retroactively move or alter the monument, the group's Richmond attorney, Patrick McSweeney, told the court.

"After the fact, the city can't change the rules," McSweeney argued.

Judge Willis said he wants to hear testimony on why Roy B. Perry Jr., the SCV camp's first lieutenant commander--who obtained the building permit--believed he had the city's approval for the monument.

And as he did last spring when the case arrived in his courtroom, Willis urged the two sides to settle the issue out of court, through mediation overseen by a retired judge. In interviews afterward, Dooley and McSweeney said their clients are open to such an agreement, if they can find common ground. "If there's a will, it could be worked out," McSweeney said. "The monument could be located where everybody would be satisfied."

But the legal dispute may grow, not go away.

William E. Glover, the local attorney for the Veterans Council, said the group will file a brief asking the court to let it be a party to the case, on the city's side.

The City Council has retained Fredericksburg trial lawyer Jennifer Lee Parrish to assist Dooley in the case.

And while McSweeney and Dooley declined to describe their clients' bargaining positions for a potential deal, it's not clear that the city and the SCV camp are even on the same page.

Ironically, it was the City Council which--in 1861--approved burial of Confederate troops from seven states at what later became the home of Maury School.

ANDERSON — A line of Confederate soldier re-enactors stood in uniform and a single bagpipe skirled through the Anderson Civic Center. A huge Confederate flag faced the assemblage and many flags of the South’s past hung in the room where hundreds had gathered to honor their heritage.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans were beginning their national reunion.

The group, whose members are descendants of soldiers of the Confederacy, is in Anderson through Saturday at the Anderson Civic Center. It is the largest convention in Anderson County’s history.

Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts opened the reunion to a standing ovation when he presented a proclamation to Ron Wilson, commander of the Manse Jolly Camp No. 6 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the host of the convention.

In the proclamation, Roberts said “our country is a nation of people united by a common history of individual heritage, diverse cultures …” He said it was important to reflect on the nation’s history and gain insight from its mistakes and successes.

South Carolina’s Attorney General Henry McMaster said those who would besmirch the history and heritage of the South should be stopped.

“We need to understand the history in our state and what our heritage is and we need to be proud of it,” McMaster said. “Our ancestors stood tall believing in what they thought was right and they did so with great sacrifice.”

Chuck McMichael, the commander-in-chief of the national organization, said this year marks the 150th anniversary of those sacrifices.

“What must our ancestors have been talking about on their back porches, and after church?” he said. “They were talking about what was going on in their country, and the dismay in their hearts of the course the nation was in, the encroachment of the federal government of the rights that belonged to the states. … It was a storm and a change that they did not believe in.”

As the first state to secede, South Carolina holds a special place in the Confederacy, not only because of its secession, but also because it sent more men to the cause of the Confederacy, while not providing a single organized group to the Union.

McMichael said that as soon as Abraham Lincoln was elected president, a parish in Louisiana seceded from the Union and declared war on the North. South Carolina was to follow in December of 1860.

McMichael said an anti-secessionist attorney, James L Petigru, was reported to have said that “South Carolina is too small to be a republic and too large to be a lunatic asylum.”

“If that’s the case,” McMichael said. “Then for this weekend, I’m proud to be an inmate.”

There were also a number of short speeches by city and county officials including former Anderson County administrator Joey Preston, Anderson County Council members Ron Wilson, Tommy Dunn and Tom Allen, interim Anderson County administrator Rusty Burns and state Rep. Dan Cooper of Piedmont.

Bid packages for those wishing to host the 2014 SCV Reunion are due by January 15, 2011. They should be sent to Chairman Joe Ringhoffer at 1211 Government St., Mobile, AL 36604 or e-mailed to ringhje@aol.com.

Bidders should include in their proposals the cost of guest rooms at the hotel(s), any parking fees, host hotel flag-display policy, meeting facility layout, projected registration cost and any other pertinent information. This information is needed in addition to the bidder's plans for tours and events and information about attractions in the area. Preliminary bids shall also include a floor plan of the space (hotel or convention center) that the bidder intends to use. Bidders should indicate what room they intend to use for each main convention function (business meetings, awards luncheon, banquet, ball, army meetings, True Confederate History Talks, vending area etc.)

The guidelines for hosting a convention can be obtained from Chairman Joe Ringhoffer at the e-mail address above. The Convention Planning Committee can also provide information on the numbers of delegates that attended past conventions, how many persons attended various events at the convention and the number of hotel room nights booked at past conventions to assist bidders in preparing their bids.

The place and date of the meeting of the Convention Planning Committee, where bidders will make their formal presentations, will be announced after receipt of the preliminary bids. For more information, contact Chairman Ringhoffer at 251-402-7593.

The Due Date to submit proposed amendments to the SCV Constitution and Standing Orders for consideration at the 2011 Reunion in Montgomery, Alabama, (July 14-16, 2011), is February 10, 2011. They must be sent to Judge Advocate-in-Chief Burl McCoy and Executive Director Ben Sewell by this date.

Amendments can be submitted by e-mail or by US Mail. If sent by e-mail, the date stamp on the e-mail message must be on or before February 10, 2011. Amendments submitted by e-mail should be submitted in an MS Word file attached to the message. If submitted by US Mail, the postmark must be on or before February 10, 2011.

Please be sure to include your name, your camp name and number and your contact information on any amendment submitted. Those submitting amendments may also include a brief statement describing the reason the amendment is proposed. Executive Director Ben Sewell will confirm receipt of amendments submitted.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – A decade after the raising of the Confederate submarine Hunley off the South Carolina coast, the cause of the sinking of the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship remains a mystery. But scientists are edging closer.

On Friday, scientists announced one of the final steps that should help explain what happened after the hand-cranked sub and its eight-man crew rammed a spar with a powder charge into the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston in February, 1864.

Early next year the 23-ton sub will be delicately rotated to an upright position, exposing sections of hull not examined in almost 150 years.

When the Hunley sank, it was buried in sand listing 45 degrees to starboard. It was kept that way as slings were put beneath it and it was raised and brought to a conservation lab in North Charleston a decade ago.

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the raising of the Hunley, discovered five years earlier by shipwreck hunter Clive Cussler.

As thousands watched from boats and the shoreline, the Hunley was brought from the depths and back to the lab by barge. Thousands turned out again in April 2004 when the crew was buried in what has been called the last Confederate funeral.

During the past 15 years, about $22 million has been spent excavating and conserving the Hunley, according to Friends of Hunley, the nonprofit group that raises money for the project.

About $10.8 million came from the state and federal government, with the rest raised through donations and tour ticket and merchandise sales. About a half million people have seen the sub that sits in a tank of water at the conservation lab.

An economic analysis earlier this year estimated the project has returned its investment many times over.

The study found that publicity from hundreds of news stories, a half dozen documentaries and a made-for-TV movie has generated at least $30 million in a state where tourism is an $18 billion industry.

"I have absolutely no misgivings," said state Sen. Glenn McConnell, the chairman of the South Carolina Hunley Commission. "The state is spending millions of dollars to get its message out to get people to visit here and the Hunley, in just one new historic revelation, makes history and makes news all over the world."

U-Haul also has the picture of the Hunley on the side of 1,200 of its rental trucks that travel throughout the country, essentially free advertising that the company says would otherwise be worth $117 million.

Rotating the sub will allow scientists to, for the first time, completely examine the Hunley's hull.

It's a delicate operation, involving replacing the existing slings before the sub is turned upright. The pressure on the straps will be monitored electronically and a laser will monitor to make sure the surface doesn't get warped.

The Hunley is "a ghost of an iron object," said senior conservator Paul Mardikian, adding it has "hundreds of different parts and everything has to move together."

Putting it upright should provide clues to the sinking.

Was it damaged by fire from the Houstonic or perhaps struck by a second Union ship coming to the aid of the blockade vessel? Were the Hunley sailors knocked out by the concussion of the explosion that sank the Housatonic?

The clues indicate the crew died of anoxia, a lack of oxygen which can overtake a person very quickly, and didn't drown. The remains showed they were at their crank stations and there was no rush for an escape hatch.

McConnell concedes he didn't expect the project to take so long and thought it would have been in a museum by now.

"The Hunley is a very complex artifact and we decided we had only one chance to do it and that was to do it right," he said.

He estimates the Hunley could now be displayed in a museum by 2015.

Conservation of such artifacts often takes years, underwater archeologists say.

It was almost 30 years before the Swedish royal warship Vasa, which sank in 1628 in Stockholm Harbor and was raised in 1961, went on display in a permanent museum.

Scientific reports on the Vasa are just coming out, said Lawrence Babits, director of the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University.

"The Hunley is iron and the iron isn't very thick and iron that has been in salt water is in a very nebulous state," he said. Putting it in shape where it can be displayed "does take time."

Frederick Hanselmann, a field archaeologist at the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M said the most painstaking part of conserving iron objects is removing the salts from years in sea water.

Conserving a ship cannon alone can take three to four years, he said.

"For conservation it's not an unusually long time, especially considering they are conserving an entire submarine," said Mark Gordon, the president and chief executive officer of Odyssey Marine Exploration.

The company salvaged more than 50,000 coins and other artifacts from the wreck of the SS Republic off Savannah, Ga., in 2003 and while many of those coins are being displayed, some of the artifacts are still being conserved seven years later, Gordon said.

Hunley archaeologist Maria Jacobsen isn't surprised the cause of the sinking hasn't been found and expects a new series of questions and answers when the Hunley is rotated.

"I do think with persistence and patience and a good deal of luck we will get there," she said.